Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona: Lions That Must Rise to Occasion to Shock World

Athletic Bilbao needs a miracle.

The mediocre Lions will face off against the juggernaut that is Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the 2012 Copa del Rey on Friday. If they plan on pulling off a miraculous upset, they must make massive match-changing plays because they aren’t talented enough to control the pace. Here are the three Athletic players that are skilled enough to turn the tide in the blink of an eye and make Copa del Ray a contest.

3.  Markel Susaeta

Susaeta is the ultimate X-factor. He definitely isn’t the biggest name out there, but he plays the role of Robin for this Athletic Bilbao team.

The winger scored six goals this season, which is good enough for second on the team. He’s also Athletic’s leading assist man, recording seven on the year. For his club to shock the world, he must make a dent in the scoreboard like he’s capable of doing in one of those two ways.

2. Gorka Iraizoz

If Athletic Bilbao somehow manages to score four goals, they got the W in the bag. Why? Iraizoz—even with as many games as the club has lost—hasn’t surrendered more than three goals in a single match since Real Madrid scored four all the way back on January 22.

As a goalie, Iraizoz is always in position to completely take over the match. He must do just that because Messi will be coming.

1. Fernando Llorente

As Susaeta is Robin, Llorente is Batman.

The Lion King must play up to his potential for Athletic to truly have a shot. He must send one, if not multiple balls flying past Victor Valdes’ head. Llorente is more than capable of putting together a multiple-goal game—he’s done it four times since the turn of calendar year.

If Llorente manages to outplay Messi—a task that’s far easier said than done—all of a sudden, Athletic Bilbao would have a chance to win the cup.  

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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